TERMS OF BUSINESS

Thank you for entrusting the care and attention of your pet to Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery. This letter details our Practice Terms and Conditions. Some aspect of the terms may not be relevant to you and we request that you ask for further explanation/clarification if required.

APPOINTMENTS: All consultations are by appointment only. Clients are requested to inform the practice in advance, preferably at least 24 hours before your appointment time if you wish to cancel or reschedule your appointment. We reserve the right to charge for missed appointments or for appointments cancelled at short notice.

FEES: All fees, diets and drug charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. Fee levels are determined by the time spent on a case and according to the drugs, materials, consumables and diets used. Our written fee list is available on request. You will receive a detailed invoice for every consultation, surgical procedure or transaction with us.

PRESCRIPTIONS: We ask that in the case of repeat prescriptions, 24 hours notice be given to allow a full assessment of the clinical case by the prescribing veterinary surgeon. The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring a repeat prescription at least every 6 months but this may vary with individual circumstances.

Written prescriptions are available from this practice. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines (POM Vs) from your veterinary surgeon OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an inpatient or treatment is needed urgently. We reserve the right to charge for issuing prescriptions.

Clients are advised to return any unused or expired medication to the practice for proper disposal at no extra charge. Unfortunately we are unable to re-sell any medication that has already been dispensed and we are therefore unable to give a refund for any such returned medications.

ESTIMATES OF COST: We will happily provide a written estimate as to the probable cost of a course of treatment. Please bear in mind that any estimate given can only be approximate, often a pet’s illness will not follow a conventional course.

SETTLEMENT TERMS: All fees MUST BE PAID IN FULL at the time of consultation, treatment, dispensing of drugs/diets or collection of patients. You may settle the account using: Cash, Cheque (with a cheque guarantee card), or Credit/Debit card. (We accept Switch, Solo, Mastercard, Visa, Visa Delta. American Express and Diners cards are NOT accepted).

An accounting surcharge will be applied to any amount that remains unpaid after 30 days. This may be removed if prompt payment is made on receipt of our reminder. It is the practice policy to pursue all debts to full collection and the client will be responsible for any account charges, or further costs incurred in recovering unpaid fees including any debt collection or court fees. Any cheques or card payments that are returned to us for any reason unpaid by our bank will result in the principle amount being reinstated along with any bank charges and administrative costs incurred by the practice. Interest will also be charged on the principle sum.

If for any reason, you are unable to settle your account as specified, we ask you to discuss the matter as soon as possible with a member of staff. Please note that instalments or part payments of any account may ONLY be sanctioned with the express permission of Mr A Downing, the practice principal.

PET HEALTH INSURANCE: Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery strongly supports the principle of insuring your pet against unexpected illness or accidents. Please ask for details about insurance from any member of staff. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to settle our account and then reclaim the fees from your Insurance Company. Direct claims may only be sanctioned by Mr A Downing and apply to individual conditions only. We reserve the right to charge an administration fee for completing insurance forms.

COMPLAINTS & STANDARDS: We hope that you never have recourse to complain about the standards of service received at Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery. However, if you feel that there is something you wish to complain about, please direct your comments in the first instance to any member of staff. If you are not completely satisfied with the outcome of your complaint then please put your concerns in writing to the practice principle, Mr A. Downing.

OWNERSHIP OF RECORDS: Case records including radiographs, laboratory results and similar documents are the property of, and will be retained by, Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery. Copies with a summary of the history will be forwarded, on request, to another veterinary surgeon taking over the case, or to your pet’s insurance company in the event of a claim.

I have read, understood, and agree to the terms and conditions of business of Banstead Village Veterinary Surgery.

Emma SmithOriginally from Ireland, Emma studied Zoogoly at University College Dublin after finishing school. Not satisfied with the lack of hands on experience, she re-entered education and qualified as a veterinary…